Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Zechariah 14 New International Version (NIV)
Zechariah 14
6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique day—a day known only to the LORD—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.
8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.
9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.
10 The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place. 11 It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.
12 This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day people will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. 14 Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD[b] will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.
20 On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite[c] in the house of the LORD Almighty.
The LORD Comes and Reigns
1 A day of the LORD is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. 2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[a] in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique day—a day known only to the LORD—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.
8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.
9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.
10 The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place. 11 It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.
12 This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day people will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. 14 Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD[b] will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.
20 On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite[c] in the house of the LORD Almighty.
Footnotes:
- Zechariah 14:5 Or
My mountain valley will be blocked and will extend to Azel. It will be blocked as it was blocked because of the earthquake - Zechariah 14:18 Or part, then the LORD
- Zechariah 14:21 Or merchant
1 Thessalonians 1 (with text - press on more info.)
1 Thessalonians 1 (New International Version, ©2010)
1 Thessalonians 1
1 Paul, Silas[a] and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' Faith
2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 For we know, brothers and sisters[b] loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Today We Join With Operation World in Praying for Several Country's
St Vincent
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Caribbean
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 389 sq kmWindward Islands; located between St Lucia and Grenada. One larger island and a chain of 16 smaller islands and islets to the south.
Population: 109,284 Annual Growth: 0.10%
Capital: Kingstown
Urbanites: 47.8%
HDI Rank: 91 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Official language: English (official), Vincentian Creole Languages: 3 All languagesReligion
Largest Religion: Christian| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 98,465 | 90.10 | -0.1 |
| Evangelicals | 42,720 | 39.1 | 1.3 |
Answer to Prayer
Through the ministries of the Evangelical Association, cooperation among the various evangelical churches remains strong. A cross-denomination prayer movement recently started as well.Challenge for Prayer
St Vincent is a religious country, but most are not related to God through a personal faith in Jesus Christ. There is a crisis of holiness, lack of spiritual fruit and growing apathy, especially regarding missions. Pray for revival and for restoration of a biblically-based, Spirit-led Church.For an additional 2 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of St Vincent._______________________________________
Samoa
Independent State of Samoa
Pacific
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 2,831 sq kmTwo large volcanic islands, Savai’i and Upolu, and seven small islands covered by lush tropical rainforest.
Population: 178,943 Annual Growth: 0.00%
Capital: Apia
Urbanites: 23.4%
HDI Rank: 94 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Official language: Samoan; English Languages: 2 All languagesReligion
Largest Religion: Christian| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 172,859 | 96.60 | 0.0 |
| Evangelicals | 32,263 | 18.0 | 0.7 |
Challenges for Prayer
Samoans have been Christian for over a century, and every village has at least one church. But the traditional class structure and pre-Christian cultural standards were not necessarily transformed by the gospel. Much of the Church suffers from nominalism, and rivalry among denominations does not generate a good spiritual atmosphere. Pride and politics influence church life too much, and the financial demands on a poorer population are heavy. These, coupled with the modern challenges of domestic strife and imported moral vice, make for a society in need of prayer.Mormonism is a point of contention; it is growing quickly, but the numbers they claim and the census results are hugely divergent. Mormons receive and send more missionaries to/from Samoa than any other denomination. Pray for all seeking to win Mormons to Jesus and to enlighten Samoan Christians of Mormonism’s errors. Pray for renewal and revival within churches that will safeguard against further Mormon growth.
For an additional 3 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Samoa.___________________________________________
San Marino
Most Serene Republic of San Marino
Europe
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 61 sq kmA city state in north central Italy near Rimini.
Population: 31,537 Annual Growth: 0.84%
Capital: San Marino
Urbanites: 94.3%
Peoples
Official language: Italian Languages: 2 All languagesReligion
Largest Religion: Christian| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 28,002 | 88.79 | 0.8 |
| Evangelicals | 4 | 0.0 | 5.6 |
Challenges for Prayer
The Sammarinese are Catholic by tradition and culture, but most give only lip service to the Church and are very materialistic. Increasing numbers reject their religious heritage altogether, with smaller numbers of JWs, a small group of Baha’i, a few Waldensians and a scattering of people from other faith backgrounds. Pray that they may have a life-changing encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.San Marino proclaims itself “Ancient Land of Liberty”. There is freedom to worship, but evangelism hardly exists. In the past, outreach by evangelicals resulted in jailing or expulsion from the country. As a result, no churches or ministries currently evangelize in San Marino.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of San Marino.______________________________________
São Tomé & PrÃncipe
Democratic Republic of Sao Tomé and PrÃncipe
Africa
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 1,001 sq kmTwo larger and several smaller islands in the Gulf of Guinea, 200 km west of Gabon.
Population: 165,397 Annual Growth: 1.62%
Capital: São Tomé
Urbanites: 62.2%
HDI Rank: 131 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Official language: Portuguese and three Creole dialects Languages: 5 All languagesReligion
Largest Religion: Christian| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 144,805 | 87.55 | 2.2 |
| Evangelicals | 7,011 | 4.2 | 6.5 |
Challenges for Prayer
The majority of the population are Catholic,but practice is usually mixed with deep-seated African spiritist beliefs. Appeasing spirits and ancestors is often of greater importance than honouring God. Pray for the Holy Spirit to move through the Catholic Church, bringing renewal. Pray for the sovereignty of Jesus to be clearly demonstrated amid syncretized Catholicism and the growth of Islam and marginal sects.Evangelicals are free to minister and do see significant growth. There are close links with several Portuguese and Brazilian groups, such as the Assemblies of God, the Nazarenes, Deeper Life (Nigeria), YWAM and several others. Pray that their missionaries might have a great impact on these islands. Pray for the development of locally led, culturally relevant congregations with effectively trained Christian leaders. Pray also for local support of national workers and for the launching of an interdenominational training centre.
For an additional Challenge for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of São Tomé & PrÃncipe.Proverbs 18 (with text - press on more info.)
Proverbs 18 (New International Version)
Proverbs 18
1 An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment.
2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.
3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes disgrace.
4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice.
6 A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.
7 A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.
9 One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.
10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.
12 Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.
13 He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame.
14 A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.
16 A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.
17 The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.
18 Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.
19 An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20 From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.
21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.
23 A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly.
24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Psalm 49
Psalm 49
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 49
Psalm 49[a]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. 1 Hear this, all you peoples;listen, all who live in this world,
2 both low and high,
rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:
5 Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—
9 so that they should live on forever
and not see decay.
10 For all can see that the wise die,
that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
leaving their wealth to others.
11 Their tombs will remain their houses[b] forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had[c] named lands after themselves.
12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure;
they are like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[d]
14 They are like sheep and are destined to die;
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;
he will surely take me to himself.
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,
who will never again see the light of life.
20 People who have wealth but lack understanding
are like the beasts that perish.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
- Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
- Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
- Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.
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